UVALDE, Texas — The Uvalde school board meeting will proceed with heightened security measures following a recent cyberattack and threats directed at trustees.

The district, still reeling from the tragic mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in May 2022, faces ongoing challenges with transparency and safety.

Related: Uvalde CISD closes schools after ransomware attack on district systems

The meeting will not be livestreamed as the district addresses internet issues caused by the cyberattack. Sources revealed that school board trustees and the superintendent were not informed of the threats for nearly a day.

Mike Garcia, a safety advisor affiliated with several national school safety organizations, emphasized the importance of unity and clear protocols. “The school board and the superintendent, being the team of eight, have to be unified in the way that they think, in the way that they react to situations, and the way that they’re proactive in avoiding situations,” said Garcia.

Mike Matranga, a nationally recognized security strategist and former U.S. Secret Service agent, criticized the misconception that increased police presence equates to security. “There’s such a misinterpretation of what security actually is. Just adding more police officers, more guns to an environment will deter individuals—that’s simply not the case,” said Matranga.

Both experts highlighted the broader implications of the ransomware attack, raising concerns about privacy, access control, and the timeliness of communication with families. Garcia noted, “It’s unacceptable. The whole scenario revolves around risk, and Uvalde being a very high-profile school district now brings global attention.”

The attack has resulted in days of downtime, with students not returning to school until the 18th. Garcia suggested this indicates a lack of disaster-recovery planning. “If they’re down for four days, it really means to me they did not have a backup,” he said.

Matranga advocated for a comprehensive approach to school security, focusing on prevention and not just reaction. “School security is not just prevention of active shootings it’s holistic. It means bringing in resources so IT systems and personal information aren’t compromised and building behavioral threat and risk assessment into the foundation,” he said.

The experts stressed the need for the school board meeting to address specifics about the breach, including what was compromised and how families will be supported. Matranga advised, “Come in with a plan of corrective action—what happened, what was compromised, and what you’re doing. Even something like paying for credit-monitoring services to restore trust.”

Both Garcia and Matranga underscored the importance of swift and transparent communication. “Good, bad, or indifferen,t you’ve got to communicate as fast as you can. When leaders stay silent, it causes more anger and division, and it looks like you’re trying to hide something,” said Matranga.

Garcia said, “Security isn’t a destination you don’t ‘become’ secure. It’s a journey you work on every single day. Bring in experts, let yourself be helped.”